Kimberly told Closer magazine: "I used to go to extremes in the early days of Girls Aloud - before a video I'd cut out carbs and anything sweet.

"I once lost half a stone in three weeks on the Atkins diet, then piled it all on again."

She added: "I can't remember the last time I weighed myself - honestly! It has been some months now, but the last time I did, I was around nine stone. That's where I tend to stay, which is healthy for my height, 5ft 5.

"I gauge my figure using tight jeans, and if I drop a few pounds or put on a few pounds, I don't mind.

"The most I've been is around 10 stone probably, when I was about 18 and didn't really know what I was doing with diet and fitness! I've been as low as eight stone when I was in the band, but that was too thin for me."

Kimberly revealed she now has a healthy relationship with food.

She said: "I'm relatively healthy most of the time, with occasional 'bad' days like everyone else. Not obsessing over food helps me maintain my size 10 figure rather than yo-yo.

"I'd never do that now. I make sensible choices, like brown bread not white. I have pasta or takeaways - just not every day - and eat only small amounts of chocolate."